Let’s End the Discussion on the Pronunciation of GIF / JIF Right Now.
Once a week for more than eight years, I’ve been eavesdropping: “This is a GIF, not a JIF.” “Actually, it is officially JIF.” If the arguments are well versed in the subject, they will continually give their arguments in support: this is JIF, because its inventor says so, and it looks like a “giraffe”; it’s a GIF because it means graphics and it’s like a gift.
Everyone’s obviously having a little fun, and arguing over how to pronounce an acronym is just a cute way to pass the time. Only it’s not so cute anymore. The debate was thorough, and there is nothing to add.
Howtoreallypronouncegif.com has a seven-point GIF protection and a five-point JIF (and regularly updated blog) protection on the GIF pronunciation page. There’s even a bizarre Great Compromise proposal from coder blogger Andy Bayo. GIF is 30 years old. Arguing about his pronunciation is as fresh as a “Hold on” kitten poster.
Like the debate about the Oxford comma, the debate about the tabulations / gaps and gaps after the debate with points pronunciation GIF / JIF is best viewed as a matter of style. Just pick one, be consistent and deal with the consequences of your choice. As linguist Stephen Pinker told The Atlantic :
It’s not that good writers choose to disregard the rule; the point is, a rule is not a rule in the first place … What makes a rule a rule? Who decides? Where is it from? They write as if there is some kind of court or committee on rules that sets the rules of the English language, which is not, or that it is a matter of logic or objective reality, but it is not.
There are compelling arguments in each of these controversies, and unlike GIF / JIF, some of them have implications. The Oxford comma can prevent misunderstandings, which is why it is critical in legal matters; The absence of a comma cost one dairy company $ 10 million in wages .
But the comma is not an unambiguous solution to the problem of ambiguity in phrases. As Pinker points out, the wording is too ambiguous: you can rearrange a “four-professor sex panel” for a less obscene “four-professor sex panel,” but you’re in trouble again if the panel is “on drugs.” “This is why the AP Stylebook (anti-comma) and the Chicago style guide (pro-comma) both note possible exceptions. As the Chicago Leadership says, “Better to stay flexible.”
Likewise, the discussion about tabs and spaces has real implications – tabs reduce file size; spaces are more accurate. Each of them matters in certain situations! It just isn’t enough to rule out another option. According to Jeff Atwood, programmer and founder of Stack Exchange, the most important thing is team cohesion:
Choose tabs, choose locations, choose whatever layout conventions make sense to you and your team. It doesn’t really matter which coding styles you choose. The important thing is that you and everyone else on your team adhere to these conventions and use them consistently .
The answer is not thelyrical “Who cares about the Oxford comma?” but the reasoned “What the fuck are we gonna give?” Have a reasonable discussion, decide how you would make any other moderate decision, and then stick to that decision.
Tiny irrelevant debates are seductive because they are a safe place to discuss larger issues. When you are fighting for the Oxford comma, you are really fighting for the accuracy of the meaning; when you call it JIF, you are protecting the moral rights of the inventor; when you correct the double-spaced entry after sentences , you are advocating historical revisionism.
That’s why these petty arguments get so hot, and also why it’s important to keep some perspective. Every significant team has disagreements about form and style, but every effective team overcomes them. I happily wrote for editors who favor and against commas; I live in a GIF / JIF interfaith family. We set aside our differences to fight the real enemy: people who don’t give a damn.